In Dialect Issues - Research Paper Example

? Dialect number Dialect “A language is a dialect that has an army and a navy” (Fromkin 430). This statement made by the great linguist Max Weinrich proves the political nature of the definitions and statuses of language and its dialects. Throughout recorded history there have been instances of language being the focal point of various conflicts in the world, the difference between the various dialects being minimal enough for people of certain power groups to classify them as dialects and others to grant them the status of languages. The history of Bangladesh is a case that proves the validity of this point. The various dialects that are part of the same language are given different statuses according to the political power that are possessed by the different groups that speak it. Apart from sociolinguistics that all these are a part of, there is also the aspect of a dialect that makes it phonetically and syntactically different from other dialects of the same language that puts linguists in a quandary as to whether to classify a dialect as a dialect or as a language in its own right. There are various dialects that are used in today’s language. English itself has various varieties that we may classify as dialects since they have a lot in common with the standard forms of English, which may be considered to be the American and British varieties. As a result of colonialism, a large number of dialects of English have sprung up in former colonies of England (Mesthrie). They began in some countries as pidgins that were used for purposes of trade and commerce. As the power and prestige that were associated with the language of the coloniser increased among the colonized, the significance of English began to rise. Even after the liberation of these former colonies, the legacy of the coloniser remained in the form of the language of English. This, even today, remains a symbol of one’s class belonging in these countries, where they are associated with colonial attitudes that have refused to fade away. These countries have however, also introduced their own flavors to the English that they have received. Thus, today, there is an Indian English, an Australian English and a lot of other varieties of English that are considered to be official dialects by linguists. With the evolution of the forms of colonialism that are employed by the political powers of the world, the politics of language also underwent changes. Neocolonial attitudes that were fostered by the superiority of the United States of America in the political arena ensure that the American dialect is considered to be the superior form of English. This dialect is popularized by American sitcoms and other shows on radio that make it more popular especially among the youth who ape the words and syntax that are used in the media. The dominant dialect leads to what linguists refer to as the death of the indigenous dialects of an area (Crystal). This is usually caused by dialects that are used for official purpose such as for administration. This dialect then turns into the one that the people of a region desire to acquire for the purpose of moving up the social ladder through the acquisition of employment in the government and the private sector. The situation is equally, if not more complicated for those nations that are multilingual. Such nations have to deal with dialects that demand the status of a separate language. This may seem like a tokenistic gesture; however, it leads to a lot of complications such as the demand for a separate state within or in some cases even outside the nation. A separation from the state may result in the diminishing of the status of the state while a separation which is effected while staying with the nation shall lead to administrative difficulties and also sets a precedent for other communities that compromises on the strength of the nation. In a multicultural and multiracial society, a dialect becomes the symbol of a community’s identity that is very important to it. This is exactly the kind of society that results from the forces of globalization that are a part of every mainstream society that exists today. The phenomenon of immigration that leads to several communities coexisting within the same geographical and political boundaries leads to the mixing of various dialects that in some situations kills off one dialect or in other situations, results in a new dialect that is a mixture of the various dialects that are a part of that particular area. In such a society the existence of the pre-existing dialects from which the new dialect was formed depends on a variety of factors such as the economic and social conditions of the communities that speak these dialects. This is seen in areas that are political boundaries between two countries where there is a considerable amount of movement of citizens on either side of the boundary, where there would be considerable efforts to preserve these dialects (Edwards). Whether a dialect can be given the status of a language or not is decided by the forces of nationalism that have been a part of the world that has evolved out of a post-French Revolution world, that places great emphasis on the right of peoples to group themselves freely to exist alone as nations on the basis of a common factor. This common factor, in the face of a decline of religion as a unifying factor has been dialects that are more often than not, considered as languages that define the identity of a community. The case of Serbo-Croatian that was divided into the two dialects, Serbian and Croatian is a good example of this. This division of language was accompanied by a political division that resulted in the creation of Serbia and Croatia. There are certain distinct ways of distinguishing syntactically and morphologically between different dialects that are a part of the same language. These, however, cannot be entirely divorced from the politics that are associated with different dialects. However, there are certain differences between the words that are used in different dialects of a language. For instance, the word ‘dinner jacket’ is a word that belongs to the British dialect of English; this same idea is referred to as a ‘tuxedo’ in American English. Apart from these lexical differences that extend from differences in spellings to differences in entire words, the manner in which words are arranged to form sentences is also different in different dialects of the same language. These differences can be found in dialects that are spoken in areas that have a high density of an immigrant population. These dialects may be different from the one that existed in these areas before they were settled by other communities. Again, one sees the phenomenon of migration and globalization as the major factor in the creation of new dialects and the death of old ones that result in a lot of complexities and difficulties for the student of linguistics. Dialects, in today’s world are symbols of a community’s identity. They represent, in a multicultural environment, the cultures that existed isolated from each other in an earlier world. Forces of nationalism and the politics that are mostly driven by manipulating different communities that form a part of electorates across the worlds create complexities in the field of dialects that make it an extremely interesting area of study. While the equality of a Standard Variety of a language and its various varieties has for long been proven by structural linguists and socio-linguists alike, the rise of globalization has led to the creation of many new social, regional, class and cultural dialects. This has opened up new avenues in the sphere of language studies and has rendered the area diverse and nuanced. Works Cited Fromkin, Victoria; Rodman, Robert; Hyams, Nina. An Introduction to Language. New York: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. 430. Bhatt, Rakesh Mohan; Mesthrie, Rajend. World Englishes: the study of new linguistic varieties. New York: Cambridge U.P., 2008. Print. Crystal, David. Language Death. New York: Cambridge U.P., 2000. Print. Edwards, John. Multilingualism. New York: Penguin Books, 2005. Print. Read More